The Belleville Rotary Club Exists to provide service to the citizens and agencies of the city of Belleville and the adjacent townships of Van Buren and Sumpter. We identify needs and execute worthwhile projects within the community and support the efforts of our Rotary district and Rotary International to help people worldwide.

History:

The club held its first Harvest Ball social and fund raiser in the fall of 1973. This continued as a successful and important event for many years. Spring 1975 marked the first Strawberry Festival in Belleville, and Rotary participated by sponsoring a pancake breakfast at the High School. This breakfast has been held every year since in conjunction with the Strawberry Festival. In 1979, through the infiuence of Rotarian Charles B. Cozadd, the club established a foundation to expand and carry on Rotary service in the community. The foundation was subsequently named in Mr. Cozadd's honor posthumously.

In the 1980's the club held a reception for RI President James Bomar, continued the awarding of scholarships to Belleville High School students – increasing the number from 5 to 10 – and celebrated the club's 50th anniversary in a gala party in February 1989. A significant project that year was the planting of crabapple trees to beautify the Belleville area. Over 200 trees were donated to the city of Belleville and Sumpter and VanBuren townships. Hundreds more were sold throughout the area as a fundraiser to help support other club projects.

Through the 90's to the present, the Belleville Rotary has continued and expanded its service to the greater Belleville community while exemplifying one of Rotary's most familiar mottoes, "He profits most who serves the best."